Israeli spokesperson Eylon Levy has been suspended by the government following a reported row with the UK government over comments he made on social media.
Mr Levy has appeared regularly in the UK media – including on Sky News – as a representative for the Israeli government following the Hamas attacks on 7 October.
The Israeli prime minister’s office has confirmed to the Jewish Post that he has been suspended.
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According to various outlets in Israel, this came following a row with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office over Mr Levy’s social media use.
The reports state the incident started when Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron posted on social media, saying: “We continue to urge Israel to allow more trucks into Gaza as the fastest way to get aid to those who need it.”
It is claimed that Mr Levy then replied on social media that there were no problems with the capacity of getting aid into Gaza.
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After this, the FCDO reportedly asked if this was Israel’s official position, and Mr Levy was later suspended.
The FCDO refused to comment on the situation when asked by Sky News.
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‘Famine imminent’
A report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a partnership of more than a dozen governments, UN aid and other agencies that determine the severity of food crises, warned recently that “famine is imminent” in Gaza.
Lord Cameron recently called for “sustained humanitarian access” to Gaza, with the UK providing for 275,000 people.
The foreign secretary wants Israel to increase capacity to safely distribute aid within Gaza by opening a land crossing in the north and issuing more visas to UN staff to deliver supplies.
Since the war between Israel and Hamas began, Israel has barred entry of food, water, medicine and other supplies to Gaza, except for a small trickle of aid entering from the south.
There have also been deadly incidents around aid in Gaza, with the Hamas-run Gazan health ministry blaming Israel.
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The US recently announced plans to build a pier off Gaza in an attempt to get more aid, as the international community loses patience with Israel.
Aid has also been airdropped into Gaza by the US with the assistance of the Royal Jordanian Air Force.
